Tunisian President Kais Saied has signed an order granting a special presidential pardon to more than 1,700 people detained over social media posts critical of the government.
About 233 out of 1,727 detainees have been released, a statement from the presidency said on Thursday, adding that the rest have had their sentences reduced, without providing any further details.
The Tunisian presidency said only those “sentenced not on the basis of the posts that were published but on the basis of other crimes” were excluded from the pardon.
The statement added that the directive was issued based on Article 99 of the constitution which stipulates dropping the punishment of those detained for crimes related to publishing social media posts.
The order coincided with the 67th anniversary of Tunisia's independence and comes ahead of presidential elections on October 6 in which Mr Saied will be running again.
In September 2022, the president issued Decree Law 54 to combat cybercrime, but it has been used to penalise those sharing social media posts critical of his government.
Journalists and human rights organisations have raised concerns about the decree's potential effect on freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Thursday also marks the third year since Mr Saied introduced what he called “exceptional measures” dissolving the Tunisian parliament and high judicial council, consolidating all branches of authority under his rule.
A continuous state of emergency has been in place in the country since 2015 following a terrorist attack by ISIS on a presidential guards’ bus that killed 12 of its members and injured 16 others, including civilians.
The legal measure enables authorities to do whatever is considered necessary to protect the country from “imminent danger”.
Critics and the opposition say credible elections cannot be held in Tunisia unless imprisoned politicians are released as most of them are Mr Saied's opponents.
About 50 people, including opposition leaders and families of political detainees, held a protest on Thursday in the downtown area of the capital, Tunis, calling for the release of imprisoned politicians.
Protesters shouted slogans such as “Down with the shameful Decree 54”, “No fear, no terror, power belongs to the people,” and “Freedom, freedom, the judiciary is following orders”.
“Today, we want this fear to be lifted for families of all the political detainees without any exception. We will continue and we will not give up until the end of this injustice,” said Feiza Chebbi, wife of detained politician and lawyer Issam Chebbi, who is also the secretary general of the opposition Al Jomhouri party, in a speech at the demonstration.
On the sidelines of the gathering, Mohamed Hamdi, a former education minister and ex-MP in Tunisia's post-2011 uprising National Assembly, denounced “the setback to the political situation” in the country.
“We are going through a major setback that coincides with the independence anniversary and which unfortunately also marks almost three years since Kais Saied’s coup,” Mr Hamdi told The National.
“He has been persistent in his policy of bulldozing political life, confiscating public space, and attacking general and individual freedoms.”
Dozens of Mr Saied's critics have been placed under pre-trial detention or house arrest, with others banned from travelling – sometimes without being charged – due to the continuing state of emergency.
Judges have also sentenced some critics to prison terms ranging from six months to five years.
Among them are Ennahda opposition party leaders Rached Ghannouchi and Rafik Abdessalem – the latter currently on the run abroad – who were sentenced to three years in prison in February.
Mr Abdessalem, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2011 and 2013, had previously been sentenced to five years in prison following a Facebook post he wrote in February 2023.
In May, prominent Tunisian journalists Mourad Zghidi and Borhen Bsaies were each sentenced to a year in prison after being convicted over critical statements they made on the radio and in social media posts.
Al Jomhouri party spokesman Wissem Sghaier told The National that this approach by the government “can only deepen the crisis in the country”, especially during an electoral period “in which it would have been better to establish a climate of freedom and rivalry to choose someone to represent the Tunisian people”.
Like many of the protesters, Mr Sghaier remains hopeful that the current status quo will eventually change, despite all the challenges.
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
How to book
Call DHA on 800342
Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation text message
Present the SMS and your Emirates ID at the centre
DHA medical personnel will take a nasal swab
Check results within 48 hours on the DHA app under ‘Lab Results’ and then ‘Patient Services’
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Company profile
Company name: Nestrom
Started: 2017
Co-founders: Yousef Wadi, Kanaan Manasrah and Shadi Shalabi
Based: Jordan
Sector: Technology
Initial investment: Close to $100,000
Investors: Propeller, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Agrimatico, Techstars and some angel investors
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Company%20Profile
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Tathoor, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: Aiz Alawda, Fernando Jara, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohammed Daggash
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
Winner: Somoud, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Al Jazi, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Overview
Cricket World Cup League Two: Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
In 2018, the ICRC received 27,756 trace requests in the Middle East alone. The global total was 45,507.
There are 139,018 global trace requests that have not been resolved yet, 55,672 of these are in the Middle East region.
More than 540,000 individuals approached the ICRC in the Middle East asking to be reunited with missing loved ones in 2018.
The total figure for the entire world was 654,000 in 2018.
